Why Need Hope?
Many years ago, the Lord Jesus put on my heart the desire to minister to incarcerated women. I went into the Dawson State Jail and the Lew Sterrett Jail, both in Dallas. I also felt led to minister to people in downtown Dallas. This included some homeless shelters.
Many of the people I met were scared. They felt hopeless, unloved, and looked down upon. They worried about what the future held for them. All I did was deliver God’s message of HOPE—a guaranteed HOPE found in a personal, loving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Over the years, God provided me plenty of opportunities to meet broken and hurt people. What a privilege to share Jesus Christ and encourage them to enter into a growing relationship with Him by becoming a doer of God’s Word. The Lord is glorified when our focus is on loving God and others.
Somewhere along this journey, I felt impressed by the Lord to set up a Facebook page – Need Hope? I opened it up, but never participated in Facebook on a personal level.
In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Suddenly, there was an explosion of uncertainty. Many in the world were scared.
When all in-person ministry was halted, I found myself with time to go back to the vision of Need Hope?
Jesus proclaimed:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19
So by God’s grace, Need Hope? is another witness to the overwhelming love of God through spreading the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ to the broken, hurting, and hopeless. It also provides hope for change by being doers of God’s word…..all for His glory.
Please join me in lifting up a prayer that the Lord will work His fruitfulness through Need Hope? in making disciples for King Jesus’s glory alone.
As for me, I was blind and deceived. But then God opened my eyes to see my self-focused-ignoring-God attitude. Because of this, I was separated from God. My destiny was hell. At the same time, I was able to understand the riches of God’s goodness and love. A godly sorrow came upon me, leading to repentance and trust in Jesus.
Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for the sinful nature we are all born with. And Jesus rose from the dead to give us a new life with Him as Lord and Savior, now and forever in heaven. I am eternally grateful. And I just can’t keep this good news to myself.
I am married to Michael, my loving husband, for over 31 years. I currently live in Dallas, Texas. And I thank God for the contentment I enjoy that can only be found in following the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord!
Chris Gray